• Carcinogenesis
• Colorectal cancer
• Inflammation
• ROS
• Schistosoma mansoni
• Soluble egg antigens

• Anti-schistosomal
• Artificial intelligence
• Cercariae
• Miracidia
• Praziquantel
• Schistosoma
• Schistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis is known to affect the cognitive functions of children, however, but there is paucity of information on its impact on early childhood development in developing countries where the disease is endemic. This study aimed at determining the effects of schistosomiasis due to Schistosoma haematobium on early childhood development in children below 5 years old from Murewa District, Zimbabwe, including the benefits of treatment.

Preschool age children (PSAC) under the age of 5 years were screened at baseline and at 6 months post-treatment for S. haematobium infections diagnosed using the urine filtration method. Cognitive domains were assessed using the Griffith Mental Developmental Scales III on 136 PSAC. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the level of association between S. haematobium infection and performance in the cognitive domains adjusting for confounding factors (i.e. nutrition, hemoglobin levels, gender and age). Median Development Quotient scores of each cognitive domain at baseline and at 6 months post-treatment were compared and quantified.

After adjusting for confounding factors, PSAC infected with S. haematobium had greater odds of having lower scores in the Foundation of Learning Domain (OR = 3.9, p = 0.008), Language and Communication Domain (OR = 3.2, p = 0.017), Eye-Hand Coordination Domains (OR = 10.7, p = 0.001), Personal-Social-Emotional Domain (19.3, p = 0.001) and in the Overall General Development Domain (7.2, p = 0.011). Improvement of cognitive performance was observed at 6 months post treatment in the following Domains; Language and Communication Domain (p = 0.003), Eye-Hand Coordination Domain (p = 0.02) and General Development Domain (p = 0.006).

The study showed that S. haematobium infection in PSAC is associated with lower cognitive scores in the Foundation of Learning, Language and Communication, Eye-Hand Coordination, Personal-Social-Emotional and in the Overall General Development domains. Our results strengthen the call for inclusion of PSAC in routine deworming programs for the control of urinary schistosomiasis and the need to develop locally validated tools to monitor early child development in endemic areas where resources are limited.

• cognitive functions
• early child development
• pre-school aged children
• schistosomiasis

An overview is presented of the well-established role of alkaloids in drug discovery, the application of more sustainable chemicals, and biological approaches, and the implementation of information systems to address the current challenges faced in meeting global disease needs. The necessity for a new international paradigm for natural product discovery and development for the treatment of multidrug resistant organisms, and rare and neglected tropical diseases in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Quintuple Helix is discussed.

• alkaloids
• artificial intelligence
• drug discovery
• fourth industrial revolution
• genomics
• multidrug resistance
• neglected tropical diseases
• quintuple helix

• Alkaloids/chemistry
• Alkaloids/therapeutic use
• Drug Discovery
• Humans
• Neglected Diseases/drug therapy

Schistosomiasis is prevalent in tropical and subtropical areas and rarely reported in developed countries. Schistosomiasis often occurs as a chronic illness, which can cause liver and intestinal damage. Appendicitis is an unusual complication of schistosomiasis. We herein present a case of acute appendicitis associated with the presence of schistosome eggs in a sailor from the Philippines.

A 34-year-old Filipino man who worked as a sailor presented to our hospital with a 2-day history of acute right lower quadrant abdominal pain and fever. A physical examination revealed right lower quadrant abdominal pain with signs of peritoneal irritation, including rebound tenderness. Computed tomography revealed thickening of the appendix associated with mural calcification and fluid collection around the cecum. Based on these findings, the preoperative diagnosis was acute appendicitis. Laparoscopic appendectomy was performed. Swelling of the appendix and contaminated ascites were observed intraoperatively, but there was no evidence of appendiceal perforation. A histopathological examination showed inflammation of the appendix wall and numerous ovoid bodies present within the submucosa, many of which were calcified. Severe infiltration of lymphocytes and fibrosis were recognized around the oval bodies. The numerous oval bodies were morphologically consistent with schistosomiasis. The final diagnosis was acute phlegmonous appendicitis associated with the presence of schistosome eggs. We examined the patient for signs of adult worm activity, but the results of stool ova and parasite examinations performed twice were negative. He was discharged and returned to his country on postoperative day 9.

The incidence of schistosomal appendicitis, which is seldom reported in developed countries, is expected to increase in Japan in the near future. Clinicians should suspect schistosome eggs as a cause of acute appendicitis in patients who have emigrated from or are traveling from endemic areas, and when mural calcification of the appendix is observed on imaging.

• Appendicitis
• Appendix
• Mural calcification
• Schistosomal appendicitis
• Schistosomiasis

Endemic in 149 tropical and subtropical countries, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect more than 1 billion people annually, including 875 million children in developing economies. These diseases are also responsible for over 500,000 deaths per year and are characterized by long-term disability and severe pain. The impact of the combined NTDs closely rivals that of malaria and tuberculosis. Current treatment options are associated with various limitations including widespread drug resistance, severe adverse effects, lengthy treatment duration, unfavorable toxicity profiles, and complicated drug administration procedures. Natural products have been a valuable source of drug regimens that form the cornerstone of modern pharmaceutical care. In this review, we highlight the potential that remains untapped in natural products as drug leads for NTDs. We cover natural products from plant, marine, and microbial sources including natural-product-inspired semi-synthetic derivatives which have been evaluated against the various causative agents of NTDs. Our coverage is limited to four major NTDs which include human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis and lymphatic filariasis.

• antiprotozoal agents
• human African trypanosomiasis
• leishmaniasis
• lymphatic filariasis
• natural products
• phytotherapy
• schistosomiasis

The manifestations of schistosomiasis typically result from the host inflammatory response to parasitic eggs that are deposited in the mucosa of either the gastrointestinal tract or bladder. We present here a case of a 50-year-old gentleman with a rare gastrointestinal presentation of both schistosomal appendicitis and mesenteric thrombosis.

• bowel resection
• large bowel obstruction
• large bowel perforation
• schistosomiasis

• Adult
• Animals
• Anthelmintics/therapeutic use
• Feces/parasitology
• Humans
• Intestinal Mucosa/cytology
• Intestinal Mucosa/parasitology
• Intestinal Mucosa/pathology
• Male
• Parasite Egg Count
• Praziquantel/therapeutic use
• Schistosoma
• Schistosomiasis mansoni/diagnosis
• Schistosomiasis mansoni/drug therapy

• Adult
• Animals
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Emigration and Immigration
• Feces/parasitology
• Female
• Humans
• Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/diagnosis
• Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/pathology
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Philippines/ethnology
• Schistosoma japonicum/isolation & purification
• Schistosomiasis/diagnosis
• Schistosomiasis/pathology
• United States